Updated May 5, 2023
The opossum is one of North America’s most unique animals and they deserve our admiration and respect. Who else do you know that can eat 5000 ticks a Month, eat venomous snakes and advance human medicine!
Romeo - our former USDA education opossum and the face of Fox Run EEC
The opossum is one of North America’s most unique animals. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial in the United States. Kangaroos and Koalas are popular examples of marsupials that live in Australia.
The opossum’s name came from the Powhatan language and was recorded by John Smith, one of the founders of Jamestown Virginia, as opassom, meaning “white dog”.
A female opossum is called a Jill and a male is a Jack. A baby is a Joey (just like with kangaroos).
The group name is called a passel and there have been many times I have had a passel of baby opossums!!
Possum passel
Babies in our rehabilitation program
What Is a Marsupial?
Marsupials carry their young in a protective pouch. The pouch is basically a horizontal bag on the belly of the female opossum. Their pouch contains 13 teats to nourish the offspring.
The pouch contains muscles and the opossum can actually close her pouch tightly to protect the babies. The mother possum can actually swim and the babies would not get wet.
Opossum Gestation
Marsupials have a short gestation period and therefore can support large litters. This is an important adaptation because opossums have a short perilous life, usually only 2 - 3 years in the wild.
This short gestation period is because the placenta is fed with a yolk, similar to baby chickens. While they do have a placenta like most mammals it is short-lived and functions very simply. Most mammals, such as humans are fed by the blood supply to a placenta.
Baby Opossums Live In The Mother’s Pouch
Birth occurs after only 14 days! The babies, that are called joey’s, are the size of a bumblebee when they are born.
When an opossum gives birth the babies crawl from the birth canal into the pouch. There they latch on to a teat and hold on.
As many as 20 joeys will be born but there are only thirteen nipples. So it is defiantly a race to the nipples. Those that do not get to a nipple do not survive.
The nipples are arranged in a circle with one in the middle.
Their grip is so hard it can be very difficult to remove them if mom is injured or dead. Only females have a pouch and they can close it so tightly that even if they are swimming no water gets inside.
How Long Do Opossum Babies Stay With Mom?
When the newborn opossum crawls into the pouch it is incredibly small and hairless. Not all of its systems are fully functioning yet. The embryonic opossum then completes its development in the mother's pouch.
The young stay in the pouch for the first two months of their life. They then crawl out and often ride on the mother’s back. Possums are weaned between 3 – 4 months of age.
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How Often Do Opossums Have Liters?
In warm areas like Kentucky opossums often have two litters per year. One in late winter and one in early fall. Farther north in Wisconsin, they only have one litter each year.
Is an Opossum a Rat?
Opossums belong to the family Didelphidae and have a variety of cousins in South and Central America. In South America, there are roughly 100 species of opossums.
They are not related to rats, even though yes, they do have some similar features.
Opossums are cat-sized animals weighing between 5 – 12 pounds. They typically have a long, white face and grey body. They are two to three feet long including their tail.
Vibrissae
Like many mammals opossums have long whiskers which scientists call vibrissae. These vibrissae are extremely sensitive to touch and connected to the nervous system. They provide sensory input from the external environment for the possum.
This is good because opossums have poor eyesight. They have average hearing when compared to other mammals. They have an excellent sense of smell which they use to look for food.
Possums rely on smell and those fabulous whiskers to find food during the night. They will hang out in an area that has desirable food and move on when food becomes scarce.
Prehensile Tail
In addition to being a marsupial, they have other unique features.
Opossums have prehensile tails, like monkeys, which do not have fur and can curl around and grip things. Their tail also helps provide balance as they climb trees, walk, or run.
The tail lacks fur and has thick skin which makes it easier to wrap around things. Opossums have also been observed using their tails to carry things.
Young possums can hang from their tails like we see in cartoons. However, an adult opossum can not. They are too heavy.
Opossums also have opposable (grasping) thumbs on their hind feet. They are very good climbers but can not jump.
Teeth
Opossums have fifty teeth. That is more than any other land mammal. They have one set of teeth which have roots and are very sharp. They have a combination of incisors. canines, and molars which are indicative of their omnivore diet.
Check out our cool video below for some fun facts.
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Opossums Have a Bad Rap!
Opossums have a reputation as chicken killers, egg stealers, and raiders of cat food left out on porches. Sadly this slow-moving, non-aggressive animal is often killed on the spot.
Opossums can be a tad smelly. No doubt you know about their protective tactic of “playing possum”? Well in addition to pretending they are dead, the possum also secretes a foul odor from its anal glands to trick potential predators into thinking it is dead.
Opportunistic Omnivores
In fact, the opossum has many likable qualities. They are opportunistic omnivores and eat a lot of things that are undesirable to us and other animals. Opossums eat mainly “bad bugs” such as beetles, cockroaches, and grasshoppers, as well as snails, mice, and carrion.
Carrion is the dead bodies of other animals. The opossum’s body has a high need for calcium. So they eat the skeletons of dead animals to get that nourishment. This is also good for environmental cleanup.
They are also voracious eaters of ticks. One study found that one opossum could eat thousands of ticks each season! The opossum does the community good by cleaning up undesirables and lowering disease-carrying vectors. And they are a great helper to organic gardeners!
In urban areas, opossums will raid trash cans and pet food.
In turn, opossums are also food for many species. Coyote, fox, bobcats and great horned owls will all prey on opossums.
Baby opossums in our rehab program enjoy hammocks. We make them out of pillow cases and hang in their enclosures.
Opossums Lead The Way In Rabies Prevention
The opossum has an excellent immune system. Opossums will open their mouths and drool when cornered giving the impression that they have rabies. In fact, they rarely get rabies, distemper, or parvo and this behavior is just a defense mechanism.
The opossum has a below-average body temperature for a mammal which protects it from many viruses that cannot live below a certain temperature. Scientists who study diseases did research using opossums on rabies and discovered this lower temperature plays a key role in them having fewer incidences of the disease.
The Milwaukee Protocol was developed as a way to treat the full-blown rabies virus in humans. This would be needed if the condition was not diagnosed until several weeks after the bite. This method puts the person in a medically induced coma where their core body temperature is lowered and they are given anti-viral drugs. There have been some successes using this method but it is still considered experimental.
Opossums have also been instrumental in helping scientists develop anti-venom because they are immune to bee stings and venomous snake bites. Their blood neutralizes the venom. Opossums will actually hunt and kill rattlesnakes and are encouraged residents where these snakes are a problem.
Intern Lauren with her buddy Easton.
Are You Dead Or Alive?
Opossums have an interesting defense mechanism. They literally “play dead”. This is a physiological response that is instinctual.
Many of the opossum’s natural predators do not want to eat dead stuff. The possum lies very still. It can even slow its heart rate. A possum can play dead for several hours if needed.
On top of that the possum can release a nasty-smelling green fluid from its anus that repels other animals.
Do not move a possum that is playing dead unless they are in danger, such as being on a roadway. If your dog is playing with an opossum body, first remove your dog from the area and then go back to make sure there are no apparent injuries. Unless the opossum has bloody wounds it is best to let it be and “awaken” on its own time.
Opossum Playing Dead
Picture by John Ruble
Opossum Trivia:
Opossums have the shortest gestation period (11-13 days) and are born so tiny that 16 of them would fit in a teaspoon!
Baby opossums, like baby kangaroos, are called Joey’s.
The pouch can seal so completely that the baby’s inside will remain dry even if the mother is swimming.
The opossum has 50 teeth, more than any other North American mammal.
The opossum has opposable thumbs (like us) on their hind feet.
Ancient fossil remains of the opossum have dated to 60 million years ago.
Possums have few natural defenses and will play dead to try and fool predators.
Where Do Opossums Live?
Opossums live everywhere west of the Mississippi River and into southern Canada. In addition, they live in Texas and north into Nebraska, and in the western states of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Kentucky
They are everywhere in Kentucky! They are very common in the Bluegrass state having adapted to forested areas, farmlands, and urban areas.
Wisconsin
Opossums live in most parts of Wisconsin except for the far northeast counties. Opossums have steadily migrated north and arrived in Wisconsin in the early 1800s.
Habitat
They traditionally prefer an area of mixed forest and field that has a water source nearby. However, the opossum is a highly adaptable creature and we often see them in urban areas as well.
Opossums do not usually build their own den. They tend to “hang out” in trees, under brush piles or in abandoned dens from other animals. A possum may stay a few days under your porch.
Opossums do not make a permanent nesting area. Instead, they travel around their territory looking for food. When the sun comes up they find a place to sleep for the day.
The exception to this is when a mother has babies and will often gather nesting materials such as grasses to line an abandoned den. Opossums have been observed using their mouth and front paws to cut and pile grasses into a bundle. Then they use the tail to take the materials back to the sleeping area.
How Can I Get Rid of an Opossum?
Do you have an opossum in an unwanted area? There are several things you can do. First prevention is the best policy.
Don’t kill an animal just because you think they are in the way. They were here first. Here is some way to prevent them from “bothering” you.
Make sure you close up holes along foundations securely with hardware cloth. Close cat and dog doors at dusk and keep tight-fitting lids on garbage cans.
Don’t feed cats and dogs outside in the evening and clean up under bird feeders.
Do you have an opossum getting onto your roof or attic? Trim tree limbs that overhang your house. Opossums cannot jump and will no longer have access.
Opossums are very mobile and change dens every few days to avoid predators so it is often possible to wait out a resident guest.
Opossums and Chickens
Do you have an opossum getting in your chicken house? Remember, poultry netting is useless against predators. Invest in secure welded wire such as rabbit fencing or galvanized hardware fencing.
Poultry houses should have secure locks and latches and hardware cloth (not just screening or poultry netting) on windows. Opossums have very dexterous paws and are very good at opening latches.
Keep in mind opossums can climb wood and wire fences. Use wire with smaller than 3-inch spaces. Electric fencing also works well.
Trapping and removing opossums does not work as this will just leave a void soon to be filled by another opossum.
Control Ticks! Make Your Yard Opossum Friendly
If you are interested in supporting the opossum and having them rid your yard of pests there are several things you can do.
· Build a brush pile in the back of your yard away from neighborhood dogs as a daytime hiding place.
· Provide water. A shallow dish that is partially sunk into the ground is ideal.
· Provide a nest box with a 5-inch opening. You can follow these plans to build a possum box. These plans come from the marsupial loving continent of Australia but will work for our Kentucky possums as well.
Opossums eat many destructive garden pests as well. You can read more about organic gardening in our blog.
Happy Opossums on release day. Photos by Ame Vanorio
Rescuing Baby Opossums
Baby opossums are sometimes in need of rescue. An opossum hit by a car or killed by dogs may have babies living in the pouch or still clinging to her back.
You can bring the mother’s body to your nearest wildlife rehabilitator who can extract the babies. This needs to be done quickly because as soon as the mother dies her milk becomes toxic which can be harmful to the joeys.
Check out my article on How To Make A Wildlife Rescue Car Kit
Occasionally a baby possum falls off and becomes separated from its mother. An opossum less than 7 inches long, not including the tail, is too young to survive on its own.
Do not feed the babies at all. This can be fatal. You can carefully place these babies in a box with a towel. Add a bottle of warm water wrapped in a towel and secured to the side of the box. Transport to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
We provide formula to help get our babies off to a great start.
Can I Keep It?
It is illegal to keep opossums or any other wildlife as pets in almost all of the states including the state of Kentucky. Orphaned or injured babies can be transported to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for intervention.
Wildlife rehabilitators may have a non-releasable opossum that came into their facility. Our Romeo was blind and had mobility issues from an automobile accident. He lived out his life in the workroom and educated people about the wonders of all things opossum!
We provide our rehab possums with natural foods such as worms.
Author, Ame Vanorio has 29+ years of experience living off-grid and is an organic farmer. She is the director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Ame teaches classes locally and online about organic gardening, green building, living off-grid and wildlife conservation.
Romeo was blind but he knew what chicken food smelled like!
Coyotes are social, intelligent, and cunning animals. Coyotes are so smart, that Native Americans considered them an important part of their cosmology. Tribes of the southwest refer to them as God’s dogs.
They are about the size of a small dog and average about 30 pounds. Coyotes share their looks and tracks with wolves in physical appearance, but they are a bit smaller in size.
Coyotes are members of the Canidae family which also includes wolves, dogs, and foxes.